Closure means for container filling openings



Sept- 1945- G. R. NGODBER 2,385,624

CLOSURE MEANS FOR CONTAINER FILLING OPENINGS Filed May 22, 1944 Patented Sept. 25, 1945 CLOSURE DIEANS FOB CONTAINER FILLING OPENINGS George B. Godber, Los Angeles, Calif. Application May 22, 1944, Serial No. 536,856

6 Claims.

This invention relates to closure means for the filling openings ofcontainers such as electric storage batteries, and has particular reference to improvements in closure means of the general type described and claimed in'my prior patents, Nos. 2,242,671 and 2,242,672 of May 20, 1941, to predetermine the level to which containers such as electric storage batteries and the like may be filled with liquid.

Generally speaking, the object of the invention is to provide a closure means which includes a lesser number of parts and which is cheaper and easier to manufacture and assemble than the closure means described and claimed in my aforesaid prior patents, and which, at the same time,

' 'is thoroughly reliable and efiicient in the performance of its function of predetermining the level to which containers such as storage batteries and the like may be filled with electrolyte or other liquid.

With the foregoing general object in view, the invention consists in a closure means embodying the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding partsin the diflerent views:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the top portion of an electric storage battery equipped with a closure means constructed in accordance with the invention, the closure cap being shown removed and the liquid-levelcontrol-sleeve being shown in the lower position it assumes when the closure cap is removed.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the closure cap applied and the liquid-level-control-sleeve in its upper position.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the closure means with the closure cap removed; and

Figure 4 is a side elevation control-sleeve.

Referring to-the drawing in detail, A designates a portion of a container, such as an electric storage battery, having a top wall l0 provided with a filling opening H, B designates a remov-,

able closure cap for said filling opening II, and C designates a liduld-level-control-sleeve associated with said filling opening and itself controlled by said closure cap 3..

A lower portion of the filling opening H is formed of lesser diameter than the portion thereof the liquid-levelabove to provide in said filling opening an upwardly facing, annular shoulder l2.

The sleeve C is disposed in the filling opening ll, coaxially therewith, and its lower portion,

which extends through the lower portion of said filling opening is of an external diameter slightly less than the said lower portionv of said filling opening for free vertical sliding movement therethrough. On the other hand, an upper portion of said sleeve, which is disposed in the upper portion of said filling opening I I, is of slightly lesser external diameter than the said upper portion of said filling opening for free vertical sliding movement therein, but is of greater external diameter than the lower portion of said filling opening to provide a downwardly facing, exterior annular shoulder ii on said sleeve for engagement with the shoulder I! to limit downward movement of said sleeve in. said filling opening and-also to provide a seal to prevent escape of air from the container A through said filling opening exteriorly of said sleeve.

As shown, the shoulder I 2 may appropriately be provided by forming an inwardly extending annular flange H on the wall l5 surrounding and defining the filling opening II at or near the lower end of said wall, while the shoulder It may appropriately be provided by forming an exterior annular flange I8 on the sleeve C at or near the upper end of said sleeve. In any event, the

sleeve C is freely movable vertically in the filling opening H between a lower, operative position as shown in Flgure'l and an upper, inoperative position as shown in Figure 2, and is provided with suitable stop means for cooperation with suitable stop means carried by the wall ll surrounding and defining the opening I I to limit its downward movement in the filling opening and to provide an air seal to prevent escape of air around; the exterior thereof through said filling opening when it is in its lowermost position in said filling opening. Moreover, prevent rotation of said sleeve C, this means comprising, for example, a lug or lugs H on said sleeve, exteriorly thereof engaged in a vertical channel or channels l8 in the wall l5 or, if desired, a lug or lugs on the wall l5 engaged in a vertical channel or channels in said sleeve.

The closure cap B is screw-threaded, as indicated at ID, for screw-threaded engagement with screw-threads 20 at the upper end of thewall I5, and in this connection the threads l9 may be of the exterior or male type and the threads 20 may be of. the interior or female type, as shown, or,

if desired, th threads l9 may be of the female suitable means is provided to.

'the threads I9 irom the threads 20, thus to insure against the undesirable possibility of the sleeve C remaining engaged with the plug 22 and being removed with the closure cap B.

When the closure cap B is removed and sleeve the lower end thereof is disposed a predetermined distance below the top wall In of the container A. Also, engagement of the shoulder I3 with the shoulder I2 provides a seal preventing escape of air from the container A around the outside of the sleeve C. The container then may be supplied with liquid through the sleeve C until the level of the liquid in the container rises to and closes the bottom of said sleeve, whereuponany further supply of liquid to the container will be prevented by the air confined in the upper poi-.- tion oi the container. Over-filling of the con-' tainer thus is prevented and the height to which it may be filled may be pre-determined by prede- 'termining the length of the sleeve C so that the lower end thereof will be disposed at a given level when said sleeve is in its lowermost position.

.When the container A has been filled to the permissible level as determined by the sleeve C, any further attempt to supply liquid to the container simply will result in the liquid filling or partly filling said sleeve C and the'opening I I and 1 this will serve to indicate that more liquid can- 7 not be supplied to the container.

the closure cap is screwed to its closed position,.

the sleeve C is lifted and thereby the top portion I of the container is vented so that any liquid contained in said sleeve and the filling opening II is permitted to flow into the container. However, the amount of liquid which may be con- I tained in the sleeve C and the filling opening I I is so small as negligibly to aiiect the level of the liquid in the container. In the case of an electric storage battery, the sleeve C is of length to predetermine filling of the battery container toi the container A and thus prevent escape of the liquid through the vent opening 25. the said disk 26 having, however, a marginal recess or recesses to permit escape of gas from the container.

The threads 2|, 23 may be of either the single type or the double type as shown.

As will be apparent from the foregoing, the present closure means embodies only two main elements apart'from the container; viz., the closure cap B and the sleeve C. As will be equally apparent, these two main elements are capable of economical manufacture and the element C always-is free when the closure cap B is removed, to be removed from and to be replaced in the filling opening II, which is of very material advantage in expediting filling and emptying oi the container of weak preliminary or formative charges of electrolyte preparatory to supplying the same with its final, strong charge of electrolyte.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Closure means for the filling opening of a container comprising a threaded sleeve disposed vertically in said opening and freely movable vertically therein, means holding said sleeve against rotation, a closure cap for saidopening having threaded engagement with the container, a plug depending from said closure cap and having threaded engagement with said sleeve, the threads of said closure cap and said container being related to the threads of said sleeve and said plug so that when the closure cap is removed the plug threads become disengaged from the sleeve threads prior to disengagement of the closure cap threads from the container threads and so that when the closurecap is applied its threads engage the container threads" prior to engage- 'ment of the plug threads-with the sleeve threads,

stop means to limit downward movement of the sleeve when the same is released by removal of the closure cap and to provide a seal to prevent escape of air from the container around the outside of the sleeve, said sleeve depending a predetermined distance into the container when it is at its limit of downward movement, and said plug and sleeve thread being of greater pitch than the closure cap and container threads so thatlifted. X

;which the sleeve is provided with interior threads but not above, a desired level above the tops 0 the battery plates 24 so as to leave an air or gas 5 space of desired height in the top of. the container above the level of the electrolytet-herein.

The plug 22 is hollow and is open at its lower end and communicates at its upper end with a vent opening 25 in the top of the closure cap B to permit escape of gas from the container A when said closure cap is in its applied position closing the filling opening I I as shown in Figure 2., Moreover, a disk 26 which may be flexed to be inserted in the plug 22 and then released to be frictionally retained in said plug. preferably is provided to intercept any splash of the liquid in and the plug is provided with e2 rior threads.

3. Closure means as set forth 11 claim 1 in which the-closure cap and container threads are synchronizedwith the plug and sleeve threads to insur free, non-binding engagement of the latter thread with each other when the closure cap is threade onto the container. f

4. Closure means as set iorth'in claim 1 i n which the sleeve is free to be removed from and to be replaced in the filling opening when the closure cap is removed.

5. Closure means as set forth in claim 1 in which the sleeve is provided with an annular external flange and in which the lower portion of the filling opening is of lesser diameter than the uppeii portion of said opening to provide an upwardly facing shoulder to be engaged by said flange to limit downward movement of the sleeve and to provide the seal to prevent-escape of air from the container around the outside of the sleeve when the closure cap is removed.

6. Closure means as set forth,in .claim 1, in

which the means holding the sleeve againstrotm tion comprises a lug on one or said sleeve and the wall surrounding the filling opening engaged in a vertical channel in the other of said sleeve and 5 said well.

GEO. R. GODBER. 

